When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted to access Signal from the Pentagon despite restrictions preventing it, he knew just who to ask: Col. Ricky Buria, a close military aide.
Buria, a junior military assistant, has quickly become a key member of Hegseth’s inner circle as the defense secretary faces controversies surrounding his misuse of the messaging app and the terminations of top Pentagon officials.
CNN reported that it was Buria who asked the Defense Department’s chief information officer whether Hegseth could be exempted from a policy outlined in a 2023 memo that states apps like Signal are “NOT authorized to access, transmit, process non-public DoD information.”
“He likes that Ricky does what he asks and gets him what he needs,” a defense official told CNN.
The inquiry reportedly raised eyebrows among senior Pentagon officials who were unsure if the request was appropriate. It’s unclear whether Hegseth was ever granted an exemption, though sources told The Washington Post that the app was installed on his desktop computer and used an unsecure internet connection, also known as a “dirty line.”
“The Secretary of Defense’s use of communications systems and channels is classified. However, we can confirm that the Secretary has never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told CNN.
Buria is a career Marine who was one of the only holdovers from the team of former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A Marine spokesperson confirmed to CNN, however, that Buria submitted his retirement papers to the Marine Corps last week.
Buria is now transitioning to a new role as a senior civilian advisor to Hegseth, according to sources who spoke to Defense News. Multiple reports have also indicated that the defense secretary is potentially eyeing Buria for the chief of staff post recently vacated by Joe Kasper.
In February, Buria briefly became the acting senior military assistant—a role normally reserved for three-star officers—after Hegseth went on a firing spree. The job eventually went to Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, but Buria nonetheless filled an urgent gap.
“Ricky was only the SMA because he was the only guy standing,” an official told Defense News. “The biggest thing to note here is just how unusual it is for a Biden appointee, albeit a military officer, to be moved into this position,” another official said.
Buria has since gone from carrying Hegseth’s bags to attending meetings with top Trump officials and foreign leaders, leaving current and former defense officials to wonder whether he’s qualified for high-level roles.
“Proximity is power,” a source told Defense News. “He was around the secretary more than anybody else.”
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